01/13/07 – Adams Reaffirms Commitment To Policing PolicyRT 01/12/07 Adams Reaffirms Commitment To Policing PolicyBN 01/13/07 Unionists 'Will Not Throw SF A Lifeline'IT 01/13/07 SF Failure To Back PSNI Will Increase DoubtsBT 01/13/07 Old Enemies United In Grief At Ervine LossBT 01/13/07 Opin: Ervine -A Sense Of Loss For So Many Of UsIN 01/13/07 Opin: Orde Admission Vital To FamiliesIN 01/13/07 Death Of Popular Passionist PriestBN 01/13/07 Plaque Unveiled To 'Forgotten Woman' Of 1916IT 01/13/07 Pubs And Rural LifeNJ 01/13/07 Band To Play Up A Gaelic Storm----

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams will lead a partydelegation tomorrow to hold a meeting with the BritishPrime Minister Tony Blair on the issue of Collusion.

Mr. Adams said:

"The O Loan report is the tip of the iceberg. Collusion wasan integral part of British policy. It existed under theTories and Labour in the 1970s but became a more focussedweapon of state terror under the Thatcher government.

"Not only did MI5, the Force Research Unit, Special branchand other state agencies run informers and agents but theytrained, equipped and supplied specific information onpotential targets. The Glenanne gang which carried out theDublin Monaghan bombings is one example, but perhaps theexample which best exposes the extent of institutionalisedcollusion was the murder of human rights lawyer PatFinucane.

"The British government and its agencies also encouragedand facilitated informal acts of collusion which werealways part and parcel of the relationship between the RUCand UDR and unionist paramilitaries.

"It isn't good enough for Hugh Orde to express support forthe O'Loan report and then criticise Sinn Fein forcondemning those who carried out these actions, and others,some still within his organisation who covered them up.

"Neither is it enough for this British government toexpress concern and do nothing to right this wrong. Britishgovernment ministers who sanctioned collusion must face theconsequences of their actions.

"We intend telling Mr. Blair tomorrow that Britishgovernment figures, including successive Prime Ministerswho sat around the British Cabinet table, and whosanctioned collusion, and received reports on itsimplementation, must be held accountable. 10 years ago whenwe first met Mr. Blair in Downing Street we gave him a fileon Collusion and specifically the case of Pat Finucane.Years later he told me that since his time in Downing

Street he had not authorised any such activities inIreland. Then who did authorise the killing and the cover-ups, which have occurred while he has been British primeMinister? Who authorised the running of the drug pushers,or the payments of these killers?

"Who authorised their non-prosecution by the DPP? Whowithin the British establishment thinks they are morepowerful than the British Prime Minister? Moreover, fouryears ago the Stevens Inquiry sent files on 25 individualsto the DPP with a view to charging them. Four years laternothing has happened. This is the same DPP office that madea sordid little side deal with Brian Nelson, theUDA/British agent who helped kill Pat Finucane and manyothers. What does Mr. Blair intend doing about the DPP?

"These are questions which demand answers. Mr. Blair mustbe prepared to open up this can of worms to publicscrutiny. And as a first step he should accede to theFinucane family's request for a proper public,international based, enquiry.

"But Mr. Blair also has to acknowledge the great hurtsuccessive British governments have inflicted on almost athousand citizens who were killed, and their families whohave suffered directly, and all the thousands of others whohad their rights undermined and subverted by a policy,which encouraged paramilitarism and violence and which inturn corrupted Protestant working class communities.

"The reality is that Collusion is a symptom of a biggerproblem; British rule in Ireland. The RUC Special Branch,British intelligence and their agents were doing exactlywhat they were paid to do. It was a political policydecided in Downing Street by the British government andimplemented by the Special Branch, FRU and others.

"Collusion and State terrorism was used by the Britishgovernment to uphold the Union; to defend and assertBritish government involvement in Irish affairs. Thehistory of that involvement is littered with examples likethis. Sinn Féin remains resolute in our determination toend that involvement." ENDS

The issue has resurfaced after the party voted to back thePSNI in a special meeting at the weekend, held just daysbefore the second anniversary of the killing.

In 2005, Sinn Fein refused to explicitly tell people tocontact the PSNI, but Mr Adams now says: "Anybody who hasany information about the McCartney killing should give itto police."

He added: "Michael McDowell should not be setting tests foranyone - this is the minister who refuses to put into placein the other jurisdiction on this island, the type ofaccountability and mechanisms that are in place in thisone.

"Mr McDowell, like Ian Paisley, is in no position tolecture or to give tests or to in any way put preconditionsupon Sinn Fein."

Fresh appeal

As police were issuing a new appeal for information onTuesday, the second anniversary of the killing, MrMcCartney's sister Catherine said his death should be a"litmus test" of Sinn Fein's support for policing.

"Sinn Fein members (in the bar) refused to speak to police.They had a nonsense of talking to third parties likepriests, but that was fruitless. Police are trained to takestatements, not priests.

Mr McCartney, a father-of-two, died the day after he andhis friend Brendan Devine were attacked - allegedly by IRAmembers - inside Magennis' Bar in May Street and then inCromac Square.

One man has been charged with his murder, and another withthe attempted murder of Mr Devine.

Sinn Fein said it had suspended a number of its membersafter the killing, and Mr Adams previously said hesupported the family's campaign for justice.

Speaking during a debate in the European Parliament SinFein MEP Bairbre de Brún called on the DUP to 'respondpositively by the weekends Ard Fheis by Sinn Fein.'

Ms de Brún said:

'The last week has seen significant developments in theIrish peace process.

'Following the historic decision by last Sunday's Sinn FéinArd Fheis (National Conference) to support the new policeservice in the north of Ireland a considerable opportunitynow exists for further progress.

'I would call on all Irish political parties, including theDUP and UUP to work with Sinn Féin to ensure the fullimplementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

'In particular I would call on Jim Allister MEP to fullyplay a full and constructive role in the peace process.

'Last week also witnessed further confirmation of theexistence of collusion between unionist paramilitaries andthe British state. The Police Ombudsman's report releasedon January 22nd confirms what the families of the hundredsbereaved by collusion between British state forces andunionist death squads have been saying for years.

'This report is only the tip of the iceberg. It is clearfrom the seniority of those involved within the old RoyalUlster Constabulary and referred to in this investigationthat collusion was a matter of political and administrativepractice which existed at all levels of the RUC and of theBritish government.

Her revelations that ex-Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) bossMark Haddock was shielded from prosecution for up to 15murders stretching back to the early 1990s unleashed abarrage of criticism against former chief constable SirRonnie Flanagan.

Even though Sir Ronnie insisted he knew nothing about anyofficers under his command collaborating with UVF men innorth Belfast, Mr McCord and nationalist political leadershave rejected his denials.

They have pointed to allegations first raised months afterRaymond McCord Jr, 22, was beaten to death in November 1997by members of Haddock's Mount Vernon gang.

Sir Desmond and his vice chairman, Barry Gilligan, will betold that before current chief constable Hugh Orde wasappointed by the board, he investigated loyalist collusionwith the RUC as part of the sprawling Stevens Inquiry.

Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde was at the centre of adeepening row with nationalist politicians in NorthernIreland tonight.

SDLP claims that they ensured his appointment to the jobover four years ago provoked a ferocious backlash.

The Northern Ireland Policing Board has written a letter ofprotest to the SDLP's leader Mark Durkan about theappointment claims.

"The Northern Ireland Policing Board undertook a thorough,professional and legislatively compliant appointmentprocess which was based on appointing a new chief constablesolely on merit and included independent assessments," aspokeswoman said.

"The chairman of the Board (Professor Sir Desmond Rea) haswritten to the leader of the SDLP in relation to thecomments published in an advert."

Mr Durkan used that commercial to claim the kudos forkeeping out what he called the old Royal UlsterConstabulary order.

The Chief Constable was a deputy assistant commissioner ofthe Metropolitan Police at the time of his 2002 promotion.The senior officer is due back from a trip to New York toface a stormy Policing Board meeting about the affair.

Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party has called for aninvestigation into the SDLP's claims. DUP Board memberWillie Hay said there needed to be a close look atprocedures linked to Sir Hugh's appointment.

"We need to look at the scrutiny mechanism used by themembers on that panel when the appointment was made to seeif there are any inaccuracies," he said.

"It does call into question the members of the SDLP who siton the Board, they need to look at their position becausewe all have a duty on the Board to act impartially in allaspects of policing, especially senior appointments."

He added that confidence in the Board had been shaken byrecent revelations and added that an inquiry into thematter should also look at the actions of independent non-political panel members.

"It has angered a number of senior police officers in theservice and a number on the ground, there is a feeling thatthey are being used as a political football in all ofthis," he added.

The DUP has called for an investigation into the SDLP'sclaims that it ensured the Policing Board appointed SirHugh Orde as Chief Constable of the PSNI.

Sir Hugh, in a memo sent to almost 10,000 police officers,has also reacted angrily to the suggestion and also toremarks by Sinn Fein last week.

He said both parties were "using policing as a politicalfootball".

Sir Hugh, who is in the US, also said they were makinginsulting comments about the PSNI and its staff.

'Solely on merit'

Sir Hugh was angered by remarks by Gerry Adams last week,when he said republicans "would put manners on the police".

He was also annoyed by a statement by Mark Durkan in anewspaper advert in which the SDLP leader claimed his partyhad ensured that the Policing Board appointed Sir Hugh aschief constable of the PSNI - to keep out what he called"the old RUC order."

A spokesman for the Policing Board said it undertook a"thorough, professional and legislatively compliantappointment process".

This had been based "solely on merit and includedindependent assessments", he said.

"The chairman of the board has written to the leader of theSDLP in relation to comments published in an advert in theIrish News on Friday 26 January 2007. "The matter will beraised at the Policing Board meeting next week," said thespokesman.

Two former RUC assistant chief constables have consultedtheir lawyers over claims.

The two unsuccessful candidates who were interviewed forthe job are Alan McQuillan and Chris Albiston.

Policing Board member Ian Paisley Junior has called for aninvestigation into the SDLP's claim.

"This is one of the most senior appointments in NorthernIreland," he said.

"They are entitled, by dint of their membership of thePolicing Board, to sit on the recruitment panel and yetthis advert implies that they openly rigged thatrecruitment process."

'Sensitive side'

Ulster Unionist board member Fred Cobain called on MarkDurkan to apologise for his remarks.

The SDLP's Alex Attwood rejected the criticism and said hisparty had not excluded any RUC officer from the process,but had resisted government pressure to exclude externalcandidates.

The SDLP leader refused to apologise to Sir Hugh and theother applicants. Mr Durkan denied the advertisement wasinsulting and provocative.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said it was "quiteridiculous" that Sir Hugh's memo was referred to as"confidential".

"This is the PSNI showing its sensitive side. The fact is,the O'Loan report said that a serial killer was being paidtaxpayers' money."

Prime Minister Tony Blair has told the Commons that SpecialBranch officers criticised in the report "were a minoritywithin the police force".

Mr Blair said collusion was wrong and was to be deeplyregretted.

"I don't think that should take away from the work that themajority of officers, both in the police and in theservice, the majority of the work that they did was ofenormous benefit to the local community."

Sinn Féin is being forced into u-turn after u-turn becauseof the insatiable demands of Ian Paisley, a former partymember said tonight.

Gerry McGeough, a former IRA gun runner who is challengingthe party as an independent candidate in the StormontAssembly Election, claimed his former colleagues had turnedtheir backs on a united Ireland by endorsing the PoliceService of Northern Ireland.

At the launch of his campaign in Fermanagh and SouthTyrone, he also said he would prefer a Plan B of more all-Ireland political arrangements to Bertie Ahern and TonyBlair’s Plan A of resuming power sharing.

Mr McGeough said: “We have a very energetic and competentcampaign which is going to offer the people of Fermanaghand South Tyrone a viable alternative.

“We are in this battle to win and expect to poll well.

“But whether we get 10 or 10,000 votes, the important thingis someone is making a stand in this constituency fortraditional republican values.

“Sinn Féin, by endorsing the Crown forces, has taken theunited Ireland agenda out of the equation.

"My campaign’s aim is to put it back in there.”

Former Sinn Féin Assembly member John Kelly was among thosewho turned out for the launch of the campaign in Lisnaskea.

A message of support for Mr McGeough was also read fromformer IRA hunger striker, and vociferous critic of GerryAdams, Brendan Hughes.

Mr McGeough is hoping to capture one of six seats up forgrabs in the Assembly election in the Fermanagh and SouthTyrone constituency.

Sinn Féin currently has two Assembly seats.

The party’s Michelle Gildernew is also the MP for theconstituency.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone came to prominence in 1981 whenIRA hunger striker Bobby Sands won a House of Commons seatthere in a by-election.

Mr McGeough tonight challenged Ms Gildernew to an open,level playing field public debate in the constituency onthe policing issue.

Following Sinn Féin’s comments in recent days urgingrepublicans to go directly to the police to report crimesincluding the murder of Belfast father-of-two RobertMcCartney and Gerry Adams' assertion that he would have nodifficulty if a young republican joined the PSNI, MrMcGeough said his former party was capitulating to the DUP.

“I actually feel vindicated by everything which has beensaid since last Sunday’s Ard Fheis,” he said.

“I said no matter what Sinn Féin did it would not satisfythe insatiable demands of the DUP.

“What we are witnessing now is the ongoing capitulation ofSinn Féin, who have no option but to keep dancing to thetune of the DUP and the British government.”

The SDLP has unveiled its blueprint for an all-Irelandeconomy, with plans to help address skills shortages,create a single corporation tax regime and tackleinfrastructure deficits.

The party is also proposing to remove tax barriers oncross-border workers in an effort to improve the flow oflabour throughout the island.

The party argued that the lack of recognition forqualifications in some areas was impeding the movement ofskilled workers to the areas they were needed most.

Part of the SDLP's plan includes accelerating the openingof an all-Ireland energy market, and advocating therecognition of the island as a European Energy Zone to helpreduce costs, meet targets and improve planning.

Speaking at the reception, the Taoiseach Mr Ahern said bothsides of the border faced similar economic challenges,including greater competition from low-cost economies, thepromotion of investment in R&D, the need to deliver qualityhealth and education services and the need to build world-class infrastructure.

"We want the children of this country to grow up in peaceand prosperity and with equal opportunity for all," hesaid. Mr Ahern also pressed home the importance of power-sharing in the North.

"Everyone who goes up for election knows that it is aboutpower-sharing, support for policing and all within a time-frame of March 26th," he said.

Mr Ahern said it was crucial to look to the future. "Asattitudes change in the North, so we must look up andappreciate what is happening. Now is the time to focus onNorthern Ireland, not to look away.

"We particularly need to understand the Unionist people andbuild a new and durable relationship with them. We must beready to play our part in building a better island, on thebasis of respect for all."

Coming hard on the heels of the Police Ombudsman's reporton collusion, the U.S. House of Representatives calledTuesday for a full independent inquiry into the 1989 murderof Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane. Recently, the HouseCommittee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Democratic Rep.Tom Lantos, took a bipartisan line in voting through aresolution authored by New Jersey Republican Rep. ChrisSmith that renewed its call for an inquiry into the murder.

That vote took place a day after the publication of whatSmith described as a "devastating report" detailing acts ofcollusion between loyalist paramilitaries and police inNorthern Ireland.

The House resolution calls on the British government to nowbegin a full "independent public judicial" investigation ofFinucane's murder.

"Pat Finucane was a courageous human rights activist and aloving father and husband. It is imperative that thequestions surrounding Mr. Finucane's murder are answered inorder to restore full confidence in the rule of law in thenorth of Ireland," Rep. Smith said in a statement

"Any agents of the government who may have colluded in themurder of a defense attorney must be held accountable,"added Smith, who over the years has authored three separatecongressional bills alleging human rights abuses by thepolice in Northern Ireland.

Finucane was gunned down in front of his wife and childrenand in the years since his death political figures andhuman rights groups have charged that the murder wascarried out by loyalist gunmen with the aid of members ofthe security forces.

The resolution, formally entitled house ConcurrentResolution 20, calls on the British government to"reconsider its position" on the matter of an inquiry intothe murder of Finucane, to amend the Inquiries Act of 2005,and to take fully into account objections raised by theFinucane family.

"For years, numerous international bodies andnongovernmental human rights organizations have raisedallegations that Mr. Finucane's murder resulted fromcollusion between loyalist paramilitaries and Britishsecurity forces," Smith said during the committee's pre-vote hearing on the resolution.

"In 2004, retired Canadian Supreme Court Judge Peter Cory,who was appointed by the governments of Ireland and theUnited Kingdom to examine these allegations under theWeston Park agreement, reported that sufficient evidence ofcollusion existed to warrant a full, independent and publicjudiciary inquiry without delay. Unfortunately, the Britishgovernment has yet to comply."

While the British government, as part of the Weston Parkagreement, committed itself to following Judge Cory'srecommendation, the subsequent Inquiries Act placed stronglimitations on the potential scope of any inquiry.

This in turn provoked sharp criticism from the Finucanefamily, human rights groups, Judge Cory and the Irishgovernment.

"During congressional hearings, the one theme that keptrecurring was the ongoing concern about human rights abusesby members of the police service in Northern Ireland. Theconcerns about collusion may never be put to rest without afull investigation into the possibility of collusion in theFinucane murder," said congressman Smith.

"A stumbling block to greater acceptance of the police bythe community has been that the charges of officialcollusion in the murders of people such as Mr. Finucaneremain unresolved.

"People are hesitant to move forward if they are notconfident that those guilty of abuses will be heldaccountable. As I have emphasized in other areas ofconflict, there can be no peace without justice," Smithsaid.

After their meeting in Downing Street, however, the twowarned the election must result in a power-sharinggovernment.

"The Assembly Election, due to be held on March 7th, is anintegral part of the process and timetable agreed at StAndrews," they said.

"It is being held for the explicit purposes of endorsingthe St Andrews Agreement and of electing an Assembly thatwill form a power-sharing executive on March 26th, inaccordance with that agreement and time-frame.

"If, at any point, it became clear that parties wereunwilling to fulfil their commitments in the St AndrewsAgreement to the twin pillars of power-sharing on March26th and support for policing, it would be unreasonable toexpect the people of Northern Ireland to continue with anelection to an Assembly which would not exist."

The notice for an Assembly Election in Northern Ireland waspublished today, marking the start of what couldpotentially be a fierce campaign.

The Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) willbe hoping to remain the largest grouping in the nextAssembly, with their leader becoming First Minister if theparty is convinced it can form a power-sharing governmentwith Sinn Fein.

The DUP has signalled it will only share power with GerryAdams' party if it is sure the IRA has abandonedparamilitary activity and criminality for good and SinnFein is actively encouraging its supporters to join andwork with the police.

A report yesterday by the Independent Monitoring Commission(IMC) said the Provisional IRA was moving decisively awayfrom criminality and into politics.

Sinn Fein's decision at the weekend to support the policein Northern Ireland for the first time in its history andfurther comments from Mr Adams urging republicans to reportcrime and join Sir Hugh Orde's Police Service of NorthernIreland (PSNI) if they wanted to, has added more pressureon Mr Paisley to say yes to power-sharing.

Sir Reg Empey, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader, saidthe question which the DUP will have to answer during theelection campaign is whether or not there will be power-sharing as envisaged on March 26th.

On the nationalist side, Sinn Fein will go into theelection buoyed by its leadership's success in persuadingrank and file party members to sign up to policing inNorthern Ireland.

The party, which has in recent years overtaken the SDLP asthe largest nationalist grouping in the Assembly, believesit can make further headway and will eventually become thelargest party in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein's party machine will go into the election alreadyfiring on all cylinders, having undertaken a huge internalconsultation on policing and in anticipation of the GeneralElection this year.

Voters in Northern Ireland will go to the polls on March 7and make their biggest democratic decision in "many, manydecades", Tony Blair declared last night.

After talks in Downing Street, the Prime Minister andTaoiseach Bertie Ahern confirmed they will press ahead witha March election.

Both leaders stressed the election will be staged on thebasis of Sinn Fein supporting the rule of law and policingand the DUP committing itself to a power-sharing executiveon March 26.

Mr Blair refused to speculate on the possibility of eitherparty failing to live up to those obligations but did warn:"There is no point in going forward with this electionunless we are going to have an Assembly that is going to befunctioning with an Executive alongside it."

He said there was a "tremendous yearning" for therestoration of devolution and that Northern Ireland now hasthe prospect of "a different future that its peopledesire".

Sinn Fein's decision to support the PSNI and yesterday'sIndependent Monitoring Commission report "gives us, Ithink, the right context in which elections can takeplace."

He added: "The election is going to go ahead. Of coursethis is probably the most serious decision people inNorthern Ireland have taken for many, many decades becauseit is a major, major question."

And in a direct appeal to the political parties, now on theverge of launching their election manifestos, he said:"People will want to know where they stand.

"Are we going into a power sharing executive or not? Isthere proper support for policing or not? I think thesequestions will be pretty firmly determined during thecourse of that campaign."

Mr Ahern said that he would like to have "greater clarity"from the DUP but he said Mr Blair was "convinced" from histalks with Ian Paisley, that the democratic unionists wereready to engage in a power-sharing executive.

When pressed by reporters, he added: "I accept that."

And he made clear that both governments had agreed thatthey would move to the 'Plan B' of joint partnershiparrangements if the political process failed.

He said: "...we believe this election is for one singleprocess - a democratically elected assembly that will havepowersharing on March 26.

"And if it doesn't, that's over. That process is over.There will be no executive. There will be no Assembly. Wewill then proceed with our partnership arrangements, whichis a second best."

Ian Paisley has refused to make clear if he is prepared tojoin a power-sharing Executive as First Minister withMartin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister.

As the Government confirmed the go-ahead for new Assemblyelections on Wednesday, March 7, the DUP leader adopted a"wait and see" stance.

After a meeting with Direct Rule Security Minister PaulGoggins, Mr Paisley said many issues still had to be dealtwith despite Sinn Fein's ard fheis motion and Gerry Adams'encouragement for republicans to co-operate with the PSNI.

The issues, Mr Paisley said, included the murder of Belfastman Robert McCartney.

After their Downing Street mini-summit, Prime Minister TonyBlair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern confirmed they will pressahead with a March election.

But both leaders stressed the election will be staged onthe basis of Sinn Fein supporting the rule of law andpolicing, and the DUP committing itself to a power-sharingexecutive on March 26.

Mr Blair refused to speculate on the possibility of eitherparty failing to live up to those obligations, but didwarn: "There is no point in going forward with thiselection unless we are going to have an Assembly that isgoing to be functioning with an Executive alongside it."

He said there was a "tremendous yearning" for therestoration of devolution and that Northern Ireland now hasthe prospect of "a different future that its peopledesire".

Sinn Fein's decision to support the PSNI and yesterday'sIndependent Monitoring Commission report "gives us, Ithink, the right context in which elections can takeplace," he said.

He added: "The election is going to go ahead.

"Of course this is probably the most serious decisionpeople in Northern Ireland have taken for many, manydecades because it is a major, major question."

And in a direct appeal to the political parties, now on theverge of launching their election manifestos, he said:"People will want to know where they stand.

"Are we going into a power sharing Executive or not?

"Is there proper support for policing or not? I think thesequestions will be pretty firmly determined during thecourse of that campaign."

Mr Ahern admitted that he would like to have "greaterclarity" from the DUP, but he said Mr Blair was "convinced"from his talks with Mr Paisley that the democraticunionists were ready to engage in a power-sharingExecutive.

When pressed by reporters, he added: "I accept that."

And he made clear that both Governments had agreed to moveto the 'plan B' of joint partnership arrangements if thepolitical process failed.

He said: "We believe this election is for one singleprocess - a democratically elected Assembly that will havepowersharing on March 26.

"And if it doesn't, that's over. That process is over.There will be no executive. There will be no Assembly. Wewill then proceed with our partnership arrangements, whichis a second best."

If it was the IRA it would be very different. But it's notthe IRA. It's the loyalists on the Shankill.

On that road there is something happening that demonstratesthe continuing control and power of the paramilitaries.

The police are monitoring the developing situation.

In the 31 pages of yesterday's report by the IndependentMonitoring Commission, there were the two stories we hadexpected.

The IRA is going away, but the loyalists are still outthere - out there and up to all sorts of the usualactivities, including the business of paramilitary justice.

In the IMC assessment, you'll read that there are seniorleadership figures trying to change things.

That's right. There are.

I know them - know what they're trying to do.

But I also know that's not all of the story.

There was an incident last Friday - an incident that fallsoutside the reporting period of this latest assessment ofthe monitoring commission - but a story worth telling as anexample of what's still going on.

A senior figure in the UDA was "thumped" by a former RedHand Commando prisoner.

It was between the two of them, and there's a complicatedexplanation about the background to the incident.

But the point is not so much what happened, but what is nowexpected to happen.

At the highest level of the UDA and Red Hand Commando therehas been contact.

The UDA wants the Red Hand Commando to "punish" or "discipline " the former prisoner who thumped 'Mo' Courtney,a one-time close associate of Johnny Adair.

And what does that tell us? It tells us that the businessof paramilitary justice is still part and parcel of theloyalist playground.

The man who wants to even the score is the most seniorfigure in the UDA on the Shankill Road.

He was involved in recent talks with the British and Irishgovernments - talks about loyalists wanting to change,wanting to be part of the peace process, not wanting to beleft behind.

But they still want scores settled - and settled in the oldway.

This is the continuing reality of life on the loyaliststreet.

It is where the loyalists are stuck.

For all that it was trying to say yesterday about somewithin loyalism wanting to make things better, there wasanother message from the IMC.

On the loyalist side, "the pace of movement has been slow".

It's a gentle way of putting it.

The fact is they are a long way behind the IRA.

And this waiting for all the political i's and t's to bedotted and crossed, is to wait too long.

Why not do something to help the process - to make it work?

And what are they going to do if they don't like thepolitical outcome?

Is there a threat in the waiting?

The loyalist paramilitary focus needs to be on the biggerpicture of the peace process, not on petty inter-organisational rows on the streets of the Shankill.

Those who can make things happen - who have theparamilitary rank to make a difference - need now to usethat rank, that leadership.

If they wait much longer, they might find that any loyalistinitiative has been so devalued to be dismissed as "sowhat?"

The Chief Constable used a confidential email to officersand civilian staff to denounce comments made following lastweek's collusion report by Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan.

A Sinn Fein MLA today declared himself "livid" at thebroadside, while the SDLP said it would cause hurt andanger among its party members.

In the email, which has been leaked to the BelfastTelegraph, Sir Hugh said he had conveyed his anger to theSDLP, but had been unable to contact Sinn Fein, as itsleadership appeared to have gone "on the run".

He stated that last week had been "difficult" for policingand Mrs O'Loan's findings had made "uncomfortable reading".

But he stressed that he had accepted all of the Ombudsman'srecommendations and was confident systems were in place toaddress the problems identified in the report.

The Chief Constable continued: "It is unacceptable thatsome individuals over the past days have chosen to usepolicing for political purposes and make what can only bedescribed as insulting comments about this organisation,its staff and retired colleagues who I hold in the highestesteem.

"I have spoken directly to the SDLP leadership to expressjust how angry I am and have taken steps to speak to SinnFein, but their leadership appears to have gone 'on therun'."

He also stated: "The officers and police staff I meet on adaily basis, whether they have worked for this organisationfor three years, 10 years or 30 years, have beenresponsible for driving forward the reforms that have shownto the world just how good we are."

The email, which was distributed right across the force,concluded: " The most effective response to those whochoose to use policing as a political football is tocontinue to do what we are doing now, providing a highquality police service to everyone.

"Thank you for your continued efforts, we can hold ourheads up high."

Sinn Fein MLA John O'Dowd today commented: "I'm livid thatthe Chief Constable of the PSNI thinks it's his duty toemail his staff and say that the political representativesof the community most affected by collusion have gone toofar. How do you go too far?

"If he had wanted to send an email out, he should have saidthat anyone involved in collusion should pack your bagsbefore we come looking for you."

Sir Hugh's fury is believed to be partly connected to acontroversial newspaper advert placed by the SDLP lastweek. It claimed the party had played a pivotal role in SirHugh's appointment as Chief Constable in place of SirRonnie Flanagan.

SDLP Assembly member Alex Attwood today said people in the"highest places of the British Government" had triedunsuccessfully to persuade SDLP Policing Board members tosupport an extension to Sir Ronnie's contract and theappointment of an internal candidate as his successor.

"The Board made these decisions. They did it independentlyand on merit and not at the whim of the BritishGovernment," he added.

Criticising Sir Hugh's email, Mr Attwood added: "I thinkthere will be a lot of people in the SDLP today who will behurt and angry, given all their work on the ground whenthey were being demonised and attacked, to help the Boardand the PSNI implement the Patten reforms.

"I think they will be saying that the police leadership hasgot itself on the wrong side of this argument and they needto quickly get back on the right side."

Police in the North have made a new appeal in theirinvestigation into the murder of Robert McCartney near aBelfast bar two years ago today.

The 33-year-old died and his friend Brendan Devine wasseriously injured when they were stabbed repeatedly duringa fight outside the city centre bar.

The murder of the 33-year-old sparked a political crisisafter accusations that members of the Republican Movementwere involved.

Mr McCartneys sisters and his partner Bridgeen Hagansclaimed the IRA was shielding those responsible for themurder. Following the murder Sinn Féin suspended 12 of itsmembers and called on witnesses to come forward to thepolice.

The IRA denied involvement but later claimed it hadexpelled three of its men, and even offered to shoot thoseresponsible.

Last night, detectives investigating the murder renewingtheir appeal for information.

Detective Superintendent Kevin Dunwoody said: "Both Robertand Brendan were stabbed following an incident whichstarted in Magennis' Bar in May Street around 10.40pm onthe Sunday night of January 30th and continued outside thebar in Market Street and into Cromac Square.

"Brendan Devine was stabbed and was seriously injured butsurvived the attack. Robert, tragically, later died of hisinjuries. While a small number of people actually assaultedRobert and Brendan, others helped and supported those inwhat they did and afterwards".

So far, one person has been charged with Mr McCartney'smurder. A number of other individuals have been reportedfor offences linked to the murder.

Detective Superintendent Dunwoody called on a number ofdrivers who were in the area to come forward.

"There were two cars - one blue and one silver - waiting atthe traffic lights to turn right onto Cromac Street. We arestill appealing for the people in the blue car to comeforward and to tell us what they saw," he added.

THE Petrol Retailers' Association has rejected the IMC'slatest verdict on paramilitary fuel fraud as "a spuriousattempt at kidology".

Spokesman Ray Holloway yesterday branded the report "ajoke" because it only mentions the word "fuel" once and incontext of the PIRA winding up – despite Government figuresshowing no change in what he estimates to be a £360m peryear industry.

Yesterday's IMC report said PIRA as an organisation"continues not to be involved" in other forms of crimeoutside terrorism.

"There are indications that in response to the leadership,the involvement of individual members (in other forms ofcrime) has declined," said the report.

It added that some IRA members continue to be engaged incrime such as smuggling, fuel laundering and tax evasionbut that such activity is now "contrary to the policy" ofPIRA.

But Mr Holloway said the fact this was the only time fuelfraud was mentioned in the report was "quiteextraordinary".

"Legitimate fuel deliveries for Northern Ireland are stillnot back to the level they were in 1995 despite the factthat road traffic has increased by 35 per cent since then,"he said.

"This report is a joke, and displays the ability ofGovernment and its agencies to turn a blind eye to thisform of crime which they say doesn't affect the residentsof Northern Ireland.

"The Westminster Northern Ireland Affairs Committeereported last year that paramilitaries were heavilyinvolved in fuel fraud.

"If the IMC wishes to have any credibility, then it needsto publish something other than this spurious attempt atkidology. The Government's own statistics says it is nottrue."

He said that diesel and petrol deliveries in NorthernIreland are only 60 and 80 per cent respectively of 1995figures.

The National Audit Office figures show £360 million of losttax revenue annually because of fuel fraud and although thefigure includes cross-border fuel shopping, he believes thebroader cost to the economy would make it an accurateestimate of total fuel fraud per year.

"Cheap but illegal fuel is the main reason the main highstreet petrol retail brands no longer own any property orpetrol stations in Northern Ireland," he said.

"And this IMC report is indicative of the Government'sentire position – stand back and endorse this form ofgangland crime."

Newry and Mourne District Council confirmed yesterday thatit dealt with 10 incidents of dumped fuel laundering wastelast year, costing in total some £45,000 to clear up – fiveof them in south Armagh and five around Newry. Threeincidents were in the period covered by the latest IMCreport – September, October and November – with the latestthe latest seizure of 16,000 litres on 15 December.

In the same three-month period, Customs and Excise wentpublic on four fuel fraud operations in Northern Ireland.

Education Minister Maria Eagle has announced that anapplication for grant-aided status for new Irish-mediumprimary school, Gaelscoil Éanna, in Glengormley, has beenturned down.

"There are two Irish-medium primaries in the surroundingarea and I am concerned that establishment of a new schoolcould impact on these schools, " she said. "It is importantthat we have a stronger pattern of intakes to confirm thatadditional provision in the area will be required for thelong term. I therefore cannot approve this proposal at thisstage.

"My Department has a duty to encourage and facilitate theprovision of Irish-medium education, but in doing so wemust ensure that strong, viable schools are created,providing good quality education for their pupils.

"My Department is undertaking a broad review of Irishmedium education provision, taking stock of the best way tofacilitate continued and sustainable growth for the nextdecade."

BRITISH military chiefs have apologised after a generaltoasted the death of Orange Order leader Harold Gracey bylikening him to Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein, itwas revealed last night.

Mr Gracey, who led the Drumcree protest, died on March 292004.

According to the Iraq war veteran Colonel Tim Collins, anunnamed general made the remark after a brigadier hadraised his glass at an army dinner in March 2004 to say MrGracey had died.

Orangemen were outraged at the disclosure made in ColCollins’s book Rules of Engagement.

The order wrote to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) nearly ayear ago.

An MoD letter said those who attended could not clearlyremember details of the private dinner at Warminster inWiltshire nearly three years ago. “Nevertheless, it doesappear that a comment was made concerning Mr Gracey, andthe Ministry of Defence regret any distress that has beencaused to his family and friends following Colonel Collins’mention of the incident,” the letter said.

Dr David Hume, director of services of the Grand OrangeLodge of Ireland, welcomed the apology, which was receivedthis month.

The US House of Representatives has passed a resolutioncalling on the British Government to set up a fullyindependent inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane.

The move follows lobbying from the family of the Belfastsolicitor, who was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries in1989.

There have long been allegations that the British securityservices helped the men who carried out the shooting.

The British Government has set up an inquiry, but thefamily are refusing to co-operate as certain evidence canstill be kept secret.

They want a fully independent inquiry where all evidencecan be assessed and witnesses compelled to testify.

On a vote of 364-34 with 25 members voting "present," theHouse accepted a resolution that demanded "theestablishment of a full, independent and public judicialinquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane."

It also urged the British government to scrap the 2005Inquiries Act that allows it "to block scrutiny of stateactions," under which a previous investigation intoFinucane's death was carried out.

Republican U.S. Representative Chris Smith said the Britishgovernment should "live up to its commitment as part of theNorthern Ireland peace process to implement a public,independent, judicial inquiry into the murder of courageoushuman rights attorney and activist."

"The questions of police collusion surrounding his murderneed to be answered," he said.

Democratic Representative Tom Lantos, chairman of the Houseforeign affairs committee, said: "The time to bring justiceand put an end to this tragic matter is long past due."

The statement is also an indication that as far as both theIrish and British governments are concerned, the electionis a two-horse race between Sinn Fein and the DUP.

It is going to offer slim pickings for the SDLP and UUP asboth parties struggle to find an answer to the question‘What are they for?’

The result of the governments’ posture is to maximisesupport for SF and the DUP.

In effect both governments are asking the voters of each ofthe north’s two communities to endorse the respectivepositions of their tribal leaders – encourage the DUP toshare power and encourage SF to support the police andcriminal justice system.

They think these encouragements are necessary because it’sfar from clear that the DUP will be able to deliver itspart of the bargain Dublin and London have concocted.

On the other side of the fence Ian Paisley is paralysed bythe bigots his lifetime of inflammatory rhetoric hasencouraged to join his party.

He has so far proved unable even to convince a majority ofthe MPs in his party to support sharing power. As soon asone like Jeffrey Donaldson suggests it is a possibility,another one like Nigel Dodds tries to postpone the prospectindefinitely.

Within the party there is a grim tussle going on forselection for assembly seats.

There is a distinct possibility that Paisley will end upwith an assembly party opposed to the verbal assurancestheir leader has given Mr Blair. For those reasons SinnFein made their ard fheis motion highly conditional on theDUP delivering the institutions of the Good FridayAgreement.

For those same reasons both governments are appealing to SFto help what are laughingly called the ‘modernisers’ in theDUP.

They want SF to move on support for policing institutionsbefore the election: in other words to breach the terms ofthe resolution passed on Sunday which says that ‘only whenthe power-sharing institutions are established and the ardchomhairle is satisfied that the policing and justicepowers will be transferred’ will the motion be implemented.SF will not move. Here’s why. The DUP will not enter thiselection campaign with a manifesto advocating power-sharing. They can’t, because a majority in their partyopposes the concept, and why wouldn’t they, since Paisleyspent the last 37 years railing against it? What Sinn Feinhas done is set the scene for another set of negotiationsin the period from the election results on March 8 to theproposed establishment of the executive on March 26 – acrucial 16 days.

Quite right too. Only when they see the election resultswill they know whether Paisley can deliver power-sharing.

Will Paisley need the support of the surviving UUP assemblymembers to complete the Good Friday institutions which,remember, the DUP has never agreed? Or will Paisley be ableto ride roughshod over his dissenting bigots, secure in theknowledge that seats in an executive and committee chairsare in his gift and that the lure of filthy lucre hasproved just as tempting for his hot gospellers as it is forfenian sinners?

The DUP is afraid of its voters so its manifesto will becowardly, full of bombast and bluster, castigating SinnFein as the great evil over whom Protestant voters musttriumph despite the fact that not one DUP vote will havethe slightest effect on SF’s vote.

Only when the election is safely over and the DUP hasconsigned its UUP rival to oblivion will Paisley be able tocontemplate delivering on his political obligations.

Suggesting that SF can in any way help in this intra-unionist bigotfest is fanciful in the extreme.

SF has delivered on all its obligations. How would theyjoin the Policing Board between now and March 7 anyway?

Now they can sit back and enjoy the spectacle of Paisley onthe frying pan. There’s plenty of him to roast.

The Irish in America know a thing or two about policing. Soit is no surprise that Irish America has long taken aparticular interest in policing in Northern Ireland.

This has been no less the case as Sinn Fein has wrangledwith the issue of its participation in policing.

The north’s slow march towards political and legalnormality has drawn diminished coverage in the Americanpress in recent times, most especially since Iraq reportagebecame a daily imperative.

But last week’s collusion report and the subsequentpolicing embrace at the extraordinary ard fheis did drawfront page ink.

Last weekend’s vote in Ballsbridge prompted the New YorkTimes

to report that the ard fheis vote signalled a shift in thethinking of Irish republicans, who, since 1922, haddistrusted the police, courts and prisons in NorthernIreland as institutions of British rule. Some who read theTimes report will not have changed their minds on thatscore.

But Sinn Fein will draw the bulk of active Irish Americanopinion with it so long as participation in policing isseen to pay the right dividends.

Congressman Richard Neal, chairman of the Friends ofIreland in Congress, was first out of the stall with hisreaction to the ard fheis vote. The decision “tooverwhelmingly support accountable policing isunprecedented and potentially transformative” Neal said ina statement.

The Massachusetts congressman, a grizzled political veteranof Irish America’s role in the quest for peace, said thatthe vote was particularly significant coming in the wake ofthe Police Ombudsman’s report on collusion.

The vote, Neal added, had the potential to create the newpolitical landscape identified in the Good FridayAgreement.

“And it should begin a process that leads to a power-sharing government and the devolution of policing andjustice powers in the St Andrews agreement timeframe”.

Neal concluded that the vote deserved to be “welcomedpositively by political leaders on both sides of theAtlantic in the strongest possible terms”.

Congressman Joe Crowley from New York also hailed the votebut then turned his attention to the DUP, urging that partyto now “formally agree to the conditions of a power-sharinggovernment with Sinn Fein as deigned in the conditions ofthe St Andrew’s agreement”.

Across the aisle, Republican Congressman Jim Walsh, theformer Friends chairman, was also turning his beams on DrPaisley.

“We now look to Ian Paisley and the DUP to step up anddeliver on behalf of the unionist community.

“It is time for the DUP to validate their word given at StAndrews by unequivocally committing to a devolved powersharing government with Sinn Fein.

“They must make good on their word and consummate theirremarkable achievement. An historic moment is dawning onthe island of Ireland.

It is time to act.”

Down the steps from Capitol Hill, Sinn Fein was alsodrawing support from the Irish American street.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians was one supporter, IrishNorthern Aid another.

Better known as Noraid – and perhaps best pronounced inFleet Street-ese as Nor-ide – the group was once a regulartarget of critics who felt that Irish America had far toobig a blind spot when it came to the IRA’s campaign inparticular.

But Noraid has moved with the peace process and was eagerto have its own, cautiously supportive, say on the futureof policing.

“There are deep seated political and emotional problemswhich exist in tackling the policing issue and there areenormous challenges that the Sinn Fein leadership mustovercome,” Noraid stated.

“However, Sinn Fein has made significant progress innegotiations in recent years and especially in recentmonths on this issue.

Because of this, and the leadership that Sinn Fein hasconsistently demonstrated throughout the peace process, weare certain that Sinn Fein will resolve this difficultissue as they have so many others in recent years.”

This is not the only view of course.

There are individuals and groups such as the New York-basedIrish Freedom Committee that have taken sharp issue withSinn Fein’s sea change on policing.

This critical stance was due to be on display last night ata venue in Manhattan during which members of the IFCdebated backers of the new Sinn Fein position.

There will be more such discussions.

Most of Irish America is with Sinn Fein on this one. But,no surprise, all argument hasn’t gone away you know.

The centenary of a Belfast strike when Catholic andProtestant workers united briefly has been marked inDublin.

More than 5,000 dockers downed tools for four months in the1907 Belfast Lockout for better pay and conditions.

Royal Irish Constabulary police later mutinied when orderedto escort "scab" workers to the docks.

Soldiers were called in to end the strike, which was led bytrade union crusader Jim Larkin who is commemorated withstatues in Belfast and Dublin.

Union leaders from Northern Ireland and the Republicgathered on Tuesday at Larkin's grave in Dublin's GlasnevinCemetery to lay a wreath to mark the centenary.

Catholics and Protestants were just as divided by politicsand religion in those days, but Larkin achieved a fragileunity for several months as Falls Road and Shankill Roadcame together, said political historian Eamon Phoenix.

"Larkin was a giant of a man and he used his charisma andoratorical skills to articulate grievances of the workingclasses," he said.

"Sectarianism was sidelined and Home Rule dropped off theagenda for a short period in 1907."

A Siptu spokesman said of the commemoration: "This is thefirst of a series of events to mark the 1907 general strikein Belfast, when Catholic and Protestant workers united todemand trade union recognition and decent workingconditions.

"The strike brought the city to a standstill, even thepolice joining in the dispute. It was eventually put downby the use of troops."

Larkin later founded the unions that eventually formedSiptu and also co-founded the Irish Labour Party with JamesConnolly in 1912.

Former Irish Labour Party leader, Ruairi Quinn, whoattended the event, said the Belfast Lockout was one of thefirst examples of the worker radicalism and led to thefamous Dublin Lockout in 1913.

"The Belfast strike was a major event in the early years ofthe trade union movement," Mr Quinn added.

Casual workers such as dockers and carters in Belfast atthe turn of the century often worked under extremehardship. They received no holidays and were often laid offduring work shortages.

Most of the striking workers were employed by industrialistThomas Gallagher who owned the Belfast Steamship Companyand members of the National Union of Dock Labourers.